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A Taste of Ireland |
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Day 1: Depart Chicago Fly from Indianapolis to Chicago for our overnight flight to Dublin, Ireland. (In-flight Meals) Day 2: Arrival Dublin On arrival into Dublin Airport we will be met by our local tour representative who will escort us to our coach for immediate transfer into the City Centre. You will visit the Guinness Storehouse, located in the heart of the Guinness Brewery. Visitors will also have the opportunity to spend some time in the Advertising Gallery in the Storehouse, where you will find a display of all Guinness advertising material and shop in the Guinness Store where you will find the world’s greatest selection of Guinness fashions and memorabilia. The tour ends on the roof high above Dublin, in the Gravity Bar, with a pint of Guinness and a magnificent view of this 1000 year old city. Before our dinner we enjoy a welcome drink. Mont Clare Hotel - Dublin (D) Day 3: Dublin After breakfast we enjoy a panoramic tour of the city. We visit 16th Century Trinity College founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592, the oldest university in Ireland. Trinity College is home to the famous Book of Kells, a 9th Century manuscript of the Gospels renowned world-wide for its rich illustrations. This is one of Ireland’s dearest treasures. We visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral circa 1191, being seen as the National Cathedral for the whole of Ireland. In a well close to where the cathedral now stands St. Patrick is reputed to have baptized converts from paganism to Christianity. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore the city of Dublin on your own. This evening we enjoy a Traditional Irish dinner with entertainment at the Merry Ploughboys Irish Music Pub located outside of Dublin in Rockbrook at the foot of the Irish Mountains. Traditional Irish entertainment features the famous and top ballad group of Dublin the Merry Ploughboys and musicians with a lively performance of music, song. A fantastic Irish dancing interval performance completes the overall Irish cultural experience. Mont Clare Hotel - Dublin (B, D and Entertainment) Day 4: County Wicklow / Waterford Leave Dublin this morning and travel through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains and visit Glendalough. It was here that St. Kevin founded a monastery in the 6th century. From this beginning the site grew to become famous as a centre of learning throughout Europe. Indeed, Ireland was known as the “Island of Saints and Scholars.” With the ruins of seven churches and a round tower one can feel a powerful sense of peace and tranquility. After lunch on your own, we continue the journey to Waterford from the Old Norse: meaning “windy fjord.” It is the fifth largest city in Ireland founded in 914 AD, by the Vikings. Waterford is synonymous with Waterford Crystal the world over, a legacy of one of the city’s most successful and enduring industries, glass making. Along the Way you visit the Famine Ship Dunbrody in New Ross, an amazingly accurate sea going replica of an emigrant ship, used to carry Irish passengers from Ireland to America and Canada during the Great Famine. An excellent, fully interactive experience, with actors bringing to life stories and people from that time. Granville Hotel - Waterford (B, D) Day 5: County Cork / Killarney Traveling west, we stop in Midleton, a tour of the Old Midleton Distillery is a journey through the story of Irish whiskey. View the largest pot still in the world prior to sampling the internationally renowned Jameson Whiskey in the bar. We travel on to Blarney Woolen Mills to shop a 30,000 square foot retail store housed in one of Ireland’s oldest and most authentic Irish woolen mills; and Blarney Castle for a chance to kiss the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that by kissing The Blarney Stone you will receive the gift of eloquence. After lunch on your own, we continue on to Killarney where we stay 3 nights. Killarney Plaza Hotel - Killarney (B,D) Day 6: County Kerry After a full Irish breakfast we travel out around the “Ring of Kerry.” Poets, painters, writers and musicians have all tried to convey the beauty of this area. The roads are narrow and the views so spectacular the journey will be a memorable one. We enjoy many photo stops along the way. We visit the Kissane Sheep Farm where we see how the well trained dogs bring the sheep down from the mountain. We return to Killarney and after our included dinner you can stroll the quaint streets or perhaps enjoy some traditional music at one of more than 40 pubs. Killarney Plaza Hotel - Killarney (B,D) Day 7: County Kerry This morning, we meet our Jarvey for a horse and Jaunting Car Ride through Killarney National Park. The park including the Muckross Estate was established in 1932 and now encompasses 39.8 square miles of mountains, woodland and the Lakes of Killarney. Then we board our motor coach for our journey out onto the Dingle Peninsula. The National Geographic Traveler has described it as "the most beautiful place on earth". Bounded on three sides by the sea, it combines in its landscape the ruggedness of rocky outcrops and cliffs with the soft shapes of hills and mountains, skirted by coastal lowlands. We explore the incredible beauty of the Dingle and return to Killarney later this afternoon. The rest of the day is free to explore Killarney on your own. Killarney Plaza Hotel - Killarney (B) Day 8: County Clare We depart and travel to the picture postcard village of Adare, which is one of Ireland’s special places, with thatched roof cottages and Tudor style houses, beautiful gardens and ivy clad medieval churches in beautiful surroundings on both sides of the street on the river Maigue. Visit Bunratty Castle Ireland’s most complete and authentic medieval castle. Built in 1425 and plundered numerous times it was fully restored to its former medieval splendor in 1954 and is now complete with all furnishings and tapestries. Within in the grounds of the castle is Bunratty Folk Park, where you can see people working as they would have in the 1800’s. Tonight you enjoy a Medieval Banquet and entertainment. As in bygone times all visiting guests are invited to participate in and enjoy the company of the finest singers, dancers and musicians of the local villages. You will experience the homeliness, friendship and warmth of a true traditional Irish evening. This evening has something to offer everyone: stories of Ireland in bygone days, traditional and contemporary dancing and Irish music that will have your feet tapping and your hands clapping. As with all celebrations, no evening would be complete without sharing our festive meal. The wine is plentiful and the food is cooked in a traditional way with portions that challenge even the largest appetite. Bunratty Castle Hotel - Bunratty (B, D & Entertainment) Day 9: Limerick Today we drive into Limerick for a visit of King John's Castle. The castle was built between 1200 and 1210. It was repaired and extended many times over the following centuries. King John’s Castle remains a most impressive Anglo Norman fortification. It retains many of the pioneering features which made its construction unique for its day. Its massive gatehouse, battlements and corner towers await exploration! Features include a 13th Century Anglo - Norman Castle with panoramic views of Limerick City, the River Shannon and surrounding countryside. The visitor centre contains an imaginative historical exhibition, which recounts the history of the castle in dramatic fashion. A special treat awaits as you overnight at Barberstown Castle. Built in the 13th Century, it is a 4 Star Castle hotel. All the bedrooms are elegantly and luxuriously appointed, laden with antique furniture. Barberstown Castle Hotel - Staffen (B, D) Day 10: Dublin Airport We transfer to the Dublin airport and our flight home (B) Note: This tour requires a valid passport. Commercial Air: Book Now to ensure your place on this trip because this trip operates on commercial air. Space is limited and may not be available less than 90 days before departure. |
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Cancellation policy: if
insurance is not purchased, cancellation charges are:121
days and earlier:
full refund; 120-91 days before departure: $650; 90 and
less days prior to departure: no refund. In addition, airline
penalties and charges may apply. A valid passport is required. A valid pass |
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9 nights
